Turkish Foundry Association celebrates 40th anniversary

The Turkish Foundry Association, TÜDÖKSAD, celebrated its 40th anniversary with members and foundry representatives from Turkey and other countries.

The 40th anniversary activities commenced in September 2016 at the foundry conference during the ANKIROS fair. The celebrations continued in March when TÜDÖKSAD gathered with 300 participants representing member company CEOs, general managers, chairmen and their guests in a celebration dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul.

Guests were entertained with music and delicious food and took the opportunity to see how close-knit and committed the Turkish foundry industry is to the sector.

In his speech TÜDÖKSAD board chairman Ugur Kocaoglu said the Turkish foundry industry has achieved a reputation of being a reliable and consistent supplier for major manufacturing industries in recent years. He thanked all the owners and shareholders of the foundries for the growth of what he described as a “tough and difficult business.”

Kocaoglu said: “Our association was founded by Turkey’s eighth president, the departed Turgut Özal, and prominent foundry businessmen of the period to solve bureaucratic problems the sector was facing. In Turkey, TÜDÖKSAD opened the doors of the foundries to one another and presented its unity and abroad the Association showed the strength and energy of the Turkish foundry industry. While reinforcing collegiality TÜDÖKSAD helped these colleagues open new horizons in their futures. Our association will continue to move forward towards new targets.

“This year onwards we will hold international casting congresses every year, which we previously organised every two years. We will be holding the 9th International Casting Congress in Eskisehir on 20th to 21st October 2017. We also attend the World Foundry Congress, which is held every two years, with our members. Since its foundation TÜDÖKSAD has always placed a great importance on industrial training. In 2015 we opened TÜDÖKSAD Academy where we have enhanced people and company development as per member demands. Through our quarterly journal Türkdöküm we archive our sector and share the latest developments in the sector with our members. Thanks to dinners and committee works held three or four times a year, we also maintain a high level of friendship, togetherness and sharing.”

TÜDÖKSAD was founded in 1976 by leading foundry industrialists and companies with the aim of providing support to enhance the economic progress of the metal casting industry and to assist its member companies (metal casting facilities, diecasters and industry suppliers) to effectively manage all production operations and profitably market their products and services.

As the association can count all of the largest foundries and most of the small-medium foundry enterprises as members, it embodies the Turkish foundry industry. As of April 2017, there are 151 member companies and 245 industrialists and managers.

The Turkish foundry sector is actively represented by TÜDÖKSAD on national and international platforms. The organisation promotes the interests of the metal casting industry to the Turkish government. Members actively participate in sectional committees and decision making bodies in national chambers of commerce and industry, hence contribute to the shaping of the national policies and priorities affecting the foundry industry.

Since 1989 TÜDÖKSAD has been a member of the World Foundry Organization (WFO). In 2007, it also became a member of the European Foundry Association (CAEF), the organisation of the European foundry industry.

The Turkish foundry sector acts an important role in both European and world casting production. In 2015, after Germany and Italy, Turkey was positioned in third place in Europe in terms of casting production. According to the American Foundry Society’s 50th Census of World Casting Production, which was published in December 2016, the Turkish foundry industry production in 2015 constitutes 1.8 per cent of the world production. Accordingly, Turkey’s global ranking is ten.

The Turkish foundry production of 1,900,000 tons and a valuation of €4 billion in 2016 is produced by 928 foundries operated in the country (preliminary figures). The Turkish foundry export value is over €2.7 billion with export volume over 1,000,000 tons in 2016. There are 34,000 employees in the sector. Most of the production in the foundry sector is made by private owner companies.